Product and service safety

Safety is about being aware, taking care

Every day in NSW many children and adults are admitted to hospital with severe injuries, some resulting in death. Many of these injuries occur in the home. By being aware, there are things you can do about it. Accidents are often due to an existing hazard in your own home.

NSW Fair Trading is committed to measures to reduce product-related injuries. We do this by ensuring items for your home such as childrens' nursery furniture, toys, electrical items and gas appliances which can be a hazard to both children and adults are safe.

Fair Trading also plays an active role in educating businesses and consumers about product safety and has many publications available on safety and standard issues. It also conducts ongoing marketplace surveys to ensure that products continue to meet acceptable standards.

The Australian Consumer Law, the Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act and the Gas Supply (Gas Appliance) Regulation require that certain goods must comply with safety requirements before they can be sold, and certain information about a product must be supplied with that product when it is sold.

Where problems do occur with a product, Fair Trading has powers to remove unsafe goods from sale. This might include recalling dangerous products or a public warning of a particular defect, or even that the product may be dangerous. NSW Fair Trading can also provide advice on recall procedures.

Product safety guide for businessEasy to understand information about Australia's national product safety laws and products that don't comply. The Guide is produced by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission in English, Chinese and Vietnamese.